Beside
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Weiss kept a watchful eye over Ruby with everything she did. Because she would be damned if anything else happened to her. Weiss could not afford to let anything else happen; Ruby was too important, her everything now. [Henceforth AU, White Rose].


**This takes place in kumafromtaiwan's incredible and beautiful Henceforward AU. You can check the tumblr for more information about the AU and the characters' abilities and designs!**

**For their beautiful illustrations of my fanfic, Gold, this fic is dedicated to Kumo and Ryn. Thank you both again so much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. Henceforward AU's concept and creation belongs to kumafromtaiwan.**

* * *

Beside

The room was white – almost painfully so.

The kind of white that can only be found in a hospital, the kind that is slightly off and dips faintly into beige, the kind that speaks of how immaculate the place is. It was the color that makes one's stomach twist because it more or less forces you to be calm.

And presently, it was doing just that, reminding Weiss exactly where she was, who's bedside she was sitting at.

There was no sound in the room other than the beeping of the IV machine in accordance to Ruby's pulse. The girl had woken up a few days ago, and that was when they had had their small argument, about topics much more serious than usual.

That was when Weiss had shouted at her that Ruby was all she had left in the world, and it was the truth.

That was when Ruby had strained up with shaking arms to embrace her, sobbing apologies all the while.

Even now, Weiss still could not forget the feeling of holding Ruby in her arms, how thin and frail she had felt. After years of wielding a weapon as impressive as Crescent Rose, such a young girl had become sturdy, with strong muscles and firm shoulders, taut skin.

But not when Weiss had last held her.

Even now, she could still remember how Ruby's back had trembled beneath her palms, still hear her broken sobs. With the fairly-fresh wound in her chest dealt by none other than her own teammate's weapon, Weiss knew that crying must have hurt Ruby to some extent, but she had done so for Weiss without a second thought.

Ruby was always so selfless, so caring when it came to her friends.

Or people whom she had once _thought_ were her friends.

That was what terrified Weiss the most, that Ruby's naivety would get her hurt, and-

-and now here she was, sporting a terrible wound from Gambol Shroud, bits and pieces still embedded within her body, located too closely to her heart to be deemed safe for removal.

Weiss could still recall it clearly, how she had been entirely useless that day, how she had laid there helplessly as she watched Ruby and _that traitor._ Just like always, Ruby had been too caring, to willing to see the good in others, never able to see the darkness.

And now here she was. Weak and frail, and it would take weeks for her to make a full recovery.

And just like on that day, Weiss was useless to her now.

All she could do was hold Ruby's hand.

So that was what she did, all day and night, whenever her work permitted her to visit – whenever she _demanded_ it let her visit. Ruby's hands felt so small, even in Weiss's, the bones of her knuckles jutting out.

Whenever Ruby woke up, if Weiss were there, she would hug her while offering a cheerful smile and a soft call of her name.

Weiss visited her every day for over a week, watching the girl gradually regaining her strength as her aura replenished itself. Ruby's hands stopped shaking when she held her food in her lap, and she felt stronger in Weiss's arms with every hug. Soon, she had no problem with walking again, and before very much longer, she was discharged.

But Weiss still kept a watchful eye over her with everything she did. Because she would be damned if anything else happened to Ruby. Weiss could not _afford_ to let anything else happen; Ruby was too important, her everything now.

Which was why on the day of her discharge, Weiss had planted a small kiss on her cheek and murmured a soft phrase into her ear. With a tearful smile, Ruby had wrapped her arms around Weiss and nuzzled into her neck. Weiss had held her, feeling Ruby's pulse beating in time with her own, the light of her aura surging together with that of the other girl.

And it was in that moment Weiss had vowed to become stronger.

For Ruby's sake and no one else's.

* * *

It was several months afterward when the Dust experimentation was supposedly proven safe for use.

It was a tentative science, one that had never been implicated before, never been tested before.

Weiss had told Ruby about it, how she intended to fuse her Dust with her body in order to control it better. The staff that had been hired to work on the project had all ensured it was safe to utilize, especially for a person such as Weiss Schnee who had mastered different arts with Dust all her life.

The white-haired girl had agreed to put it to use immediately, and presently, Ruby was anxiously sitting outside of the laboratory's room. She was so worried about Weiss; what if this did not work out as planned? Weiss could be seriously hurt if the Dust somehow disrupted the flow of her aura. It could even be fatal...

"No!" Ruby piped the word aloud and smacked her hands to her cheeks to clear her head of such thoughts. She could not afford to think like that, especially not right now with Weiss just in the room behind her.

She could not begin to imagine what her partner was feeling.

Weiss had refused the painkillers the nurses had offered her, declaring she wanted to experience the full feeling of the Dust as it fused with her.

But Ruby knew it was also Weiss's way of punishing herself for not being able to save her that day.

Ever since she had woken up and recovered, Ruby had seen the guilt in Weiss's eyes every single day. Even when Ruby kissed her and made her smile, there was always something hollow in her eyes, and Ruby did not like it. She wanted that part gone.

Therefore, if taking the brunt of the pain involved with this experiment now would give the life entirely back to her mist-blue eyes, then Ruby was begrudgingly willing to let Weiss do this.

She was on high alert the entire time she sat outside that room. The walls were soundproof, and Ruby couldn't shake the thought that Weiss might have been screaming out in agony just on the other side of that door. She kept praying, clutching the cross at her chest and _praying_ that Weiss was okay. _I know she's tough but... but she's Weiss..._

Yes, she was a trained huntress and a skillful rapier wielder. But Ruby knew better than any other person how petite Weiss was, how light and easy she was to lift.

And she was _Weiss_. Her partner now in every sense of the word.

Which was why Ruby couldn't stand seeing her in pain any more than Weiss could stand seeing _her_ in pain.

It felt like an eternity before the door finally opened, and Ruby jumped up, animated back into life after hours of stillness. Weiss stood before her in the doorway, chin held high in triumph, her blue eyes alight with confidence that Ruby could only hope was not being forced.

"Weiss!" She was sure to wrap her arms around the older girl's torso gently, carefully. "Weiss, are you okay? How was it, did it hurt? Do you feel okay, c-can you stand on your own, can you walk?" She hurled an arsenal of questions at her, waiting for some kind of response.

When she hugged Weiss tighter, Ruby could feel the workings of something beneath her partner's skin that had not been there before. It was like the blood flowing through Weiss's veins was... charged with something. Empowered. Enhanced. It didn't feel right to Ruby, but before she could voice any more of her fears, she heard Weiss's voice.

"I'm fine, Ruby. It was entirely successful. I'm fine."

_Liar! _Ruby screamed in her mind_. Then why are you shaking? Why can't you lift you arms to hug me back? _She wanted to hold Weiss tighter, but was afraid to do so.

"Weiss..." Ruby lifted her head to look into Weiss's eyes, directly into her soul.

Weiss knew. She knew Ruby could tell she was lying. But even so, she could not possibly let her know the _extent_ to which she was lying.

"I'll be fine after some rest," she murmured, doing her best to press a kiss to Ruby's forehead. But her lips shook and Ruby could feel it, just like the rest of her was shaking.

And she couldn't ignore the way Weiss took her hand after that and held onto it all the way back home. Ruby even offered to carry her, but Weiss adamantly refused.

So Ruby walked on quietly beside her, offering as much support as she could without imposing upon Weiss's prideful actions. She was watchful of Weiss the entire journey back, how she was moving much more stiffly than usual, how her pulse flitted beneath Ruby's fingertips at her wrist, how her expression was plastered on.

Weiss was thankful that Ruby did not press further. Because Weiss did not know what she would tell her if she asked.

In truth, her blood was rushing through her veins, pumping rapidly around her fast-beating heart. Her internal body temperature was fluctuating on abnormal levels – scorching hot or biting cold – and Weiss had not the slightest ounce of control over any of it.

The doctors had warned her this could happen, that the Dust would likely be attacking her aura for the first few days until it had adjusted properly. They had recommend she take supplements that would help regenerate and strengthen her aura during this time, but Weiss had stubbornly insisted against it. She was convinced this would make it even, that this could equal the pain Ruby must have felt when her own teammate ran her through with her weapon.

Ruby had always been closer to all of her teammates than they were to one another, so to be betrayed like that by one of them, to suffer such a terrible injury, to be left unconscious and then wake up to find her sister had left as well...

Compared with what agony Ruby had gone through, Weiss knew what she herself was feeling now was nothing.

Ruby followed Weiss back to her house, where the younger girl often stayed some nights. And she was definitely staying tonight, no matter what.

Weiss all but limped up the stairs, her hand still keeping a hold on Ruby's. It was a painstaking process for the brunette to have to watch, but she was patient. She wanted to help Weiss, and maybe right now she just needed to let her do this on her own. The results would surely be astounding if Weiss could control and summon her Dust at will.

But still... for now, Ruby was more concerned for _her_ than anything else.

"Weiss? I'm gonna stay with you tonight, okay?" It probably did not even need to be stated, but she just wanted Weiss to know anyway.

The white-haired girl gave her a sidelong glance and nodded once. Ruby felt a bit better now in knowing she was welcome, and she squeezed tighter to Weiss's hand. She could tell Weiss was exhausted, so Ruby tried to pull her toward her room so she may change clothes and lay down.

But Weiss did not follow, and Ruby furrowed her eyebrows with worry.

"I'm just going to check on some documents in the office. You go on. I'll be along in a few moments."

"But Weiss-"

"It's fine, Ruby. Just go." And with that, Weiss turned away and headed off in the opposite direction, her stride lacking its usual confident strut.

Ruby watched her go for a minute, feeling the familiar light of Weiss's aura carry farther away from her. But she was no fool – not when it came to Weiss. Ruby had been her partner for years, and she knew when she was lying, knew of Weiss's habit to run off and say she wanted to be alone when really all she wanted was to be with someone else.

"When are you gonna start being honest, Weiss?" Ruby mumbled before slowly following after her.

Weiss should have known as well, should have known Ruby well enough by now to assume she would follow. But this time, she really wished Ruby would let her be.

The turmoil inside Weiss's body was heaving like the waves of a stormy sea by the time she reached the office, closing the door behind her. There were no papers to look over. She had just needed to get away from Ruby, because whatever was happening with the Dust felt dangerous and she did not want Ruby anywhere near her right now.

_Damn... Why did I consent to her staying the night? I've got to tell her to leave..._

Weiss's mind was a jumbled mess now as she stood there in the center of the room, ragged gasps leaving her lips, growing more desperate by the second until they were _tearing_ from her lungs.

She could not calm down. It was as though the clash between her aura and the Dust had reached its peak at the battle inside of her. Weiss clutched her chest and slumped back against the wall, feeling as though her heart was going to break through its bone cage and out of her chest altogether.

_If I can just... If I can just hold out... until it's settled..._

But it was _so _hard to breathe. There was a blazing heat coursing through her body, as though something had set fire to her bloodstream. And yet she was shivering violently, chills raking her body from head to toe with every passing second and she just wanted it all to be _over_-

Then, she felt something on her shoulder, and meekly opened her eyes to look down.

A small shard of red crystal had formed on – no – _through_ her skin. This was not a side-affect she had been told to expect.

"W-What is this...?"

Then, there was another sharp pain as a second one appeared on her upper arm. _What's happening...? _A thin layer of blood coated each crystal as it pierced her skin, and she could feel more sprouting.

"No..." Dread washed over her; this did not feel right. "No... no- _stop_-!" She reached out to touch them, but they were sharp enough to draw blood from her fingertips.

This was not supposed to be happening...

Weiss panicked, and the fear pulsing through her only made things worse. More crystals sprouted, her head was spinning, vision blurred, she was unable to breathe-

A name passed over her lips like a prayer.

"Ru...by..."

And like a miracle, she was there.

Weiss had called out for her, and Ruby had arrived just in time. She did not know what was happening to Weiss, but she looked to be in unspeakable pain.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out her name as she raced to her, throwing her arms around her partner as gently and yet firmly as she could manage.

Weiss was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, shudders ripping through her body. Ruby felt the slight jabs of something piercing her skin – across her nose as she rested her chin over Weiss's shoulder, over her hands and her arms. She felt the small trickles of blood from the scratches, but she knew Weiss was in so much greater pain.

She could feel Weiss's heartbeat, thundering, _hammering_, fast and hard and terrifyingly so. Ruby was scared for her, so, so scared.

But she needed Weiss to know-

_"I'm here..."_

A smile settled onto her lips as she held Weiss, willing her to calm down, letting her own steady pulse overlap with Weiss's, trying to make the older girl's frantic heartbeat slow.

_Breathe..._ Ruby begged her silently. _Just breathe, Weiss. It's okay..._

Weiss felt she could hear Ruby's thoughts, understand what she was trying to convey through her touch. She tried to do as Ruby wished her to, opening her mouth to take in deep breaths, hands shaking as they clutched at the girl's back. "R-Ruby..." She tried to slow her breathing, letting Ruby's presence provide solace for her, a safe haven during the most frightening storm.

But Weiss could feel one last area within her scrambling for release, pooling at the front of her chest. She could not suppress it. One final crystal broke past the skin of Weiss's collar, causing another stab of pain.

But what hurt her most of all was the sound that followed.

"Ah-!" Ruby let out a small cry of pain, her embrace on Weiss weakening slightly.

Weiss realized the protruding crystal had struck her right over her scar, the wound Blake had given her that was just finishing healing.

"Ruby?" Weiss wanted to reach out and hold her, but she feared hurting her again, and her voice rose a pitch in panic. "_Ruby?!_"

The younger girl swayed a step back, hands on her chest, and Weiss felt her heart come screeching to a halt.

She had done this to Ruby. She had hurt her.

Tears started streaming down her face as Weiss realized what she had done.

Suddenly, she felt a dizzying wave crash over her, all strength absent from her body as she collapsed brokenly to her knees and sobbed. The Dust crystals recoiled, her body too weak from the crushing guilt to maintain them. The furious, dissonant storm inside of Weiss came to an abrupt halt, and then it was gone, settling naturally within her.

But although the physical pain had ceased, the emotional was so much worse.

Ruby watched in terror as Weiss fell to her knees. The younger girl slowly removed her hands from her chest as the slight pain subsided, and she hastily knelt down in front of her partner. Weiss was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ruby... Ruby... I-I'm so-"

"Weiss, shhh..."

The crystals were gone now. Good. They had looked painful, much more so to Weiss as the host than to any outside party.

Ruby hugged her fully this time, her own aura already having healed the small cuts from earlier.

"I'm okay, Weiss."

"B-But I..." Her voice was thin and spoken between heaving breaths, and it hurt Ruby to have to listen to her like that. "I-I hurt you, Ruby. Because I... I couldn't control it a-and I _hurt you _ and I'm so sorry-"

"_Weiss_." Ruby whispered her name gently. "I'm _okay_. See?" She sat back and cupped her hands on either side of her partner's face, having Weiss look up into her shining silver eyes. Ruby beamed happily at her, glad that Weiss was no longer hurting.

But evidently, Weiss still could not forgive her own powerlessness just now.

"B-But I-"

"Shhh..." Ruby hugged her again. "You didn't mean to, Weiss. I know you didn't. But I'm okay, and I... I need _you_ to be okay, too." She rubbed her arms up and down over Weiss's back, over the rips in her clothing the crystals had made. "_Please_, Weiss. Just breathe. It's okay..."

She brought Weiss's head to her chest and cradled her, gingerly running her fingers through her silken tresses.

In and out... in and out... She made sure Weiss was breathing properly before Ruby finally pulled away again, pressing soft kisses to her forehead as she wiped the tears off her face. She moved down to kiss Weiss's cheeks, holding her lips over her scar for a long moment.

Her voice was a soothing whisper then. "I love you, Weiss. Nothing will ever change that." Ruby smiled and blinked away her own tears before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

She could feel Weiss hesitate, nervous about returning the contact, but before long, she kissed Ruby back. She did not want Weiss to feel guilty about this, nor about what had happened to Ruby in the past. She just wanted to move on with her toward a brighter future.

They stayed that way for a while, for as long as they needed to until the tears had stopped and the air was still again.

Ruby slipped an arm around Weiss's shoulders and hooked the other beneath her knees, taking Weiss into her arms as she stood. Even though Weiss was older, it was never a problem for Ruby to lift her, and she loved doing so.

She moved slowly through the hallway, not wanting to jostle Weiss or make her uncomfortable.

She reached Weiss's bedroom and laid her down gently on the mattress, while Ruby herself sat on the edge. Her silver eyes looked her partner over, concern still visible in her creased brows. She leaned down over Weiss, encircled her loosely in her arms, and kissed the bridge of her nose, looking down into her eyes. "Are you feeling okay, Weiss? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Weiss exhaled, lips curling up into a small smile.

"No. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine, Ruby. Now that you're here." She reached up and wrapped her arms around the younger girl's neck, pulling her down closer. "Thank you."

Ruby let out the breath she had not been aware she was holding when she finally let herself believe Weiss's words.

"You don't need to thank me," she whispered against the crook of Weiss's neck.

The grave atmosphere finally dissipated, replaced with a lighter, more comfortable one.

Ruby sat up, taking Weiss's hands and helping her up as well. "Let's get changed and get some rest."

Weiss nodded in agreement to her suggestion.

She let Ruby help her to her feet before she crossed the room to her dresser, pulling out one of her nightgowns as well as a spare for Ruby. Ruby slipped into the material easily, loving that it smelled like Weiss; it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She pulled her cloak on around her shoulders for added comfort.

As Weiss slipped her own sleepwear over her shoulders, she inspected her upper arms where the crystals had pierced earlier. But there were no puncture wounds, not even the small drops of blood, all evidence completely erased thanks to her aura.

The only proof any of that had even transpired at all was the warmth Ruby had left her with in addition to the foreign feeling that coursed through her veins. But it did not hurt anymore, nor was it heated or chilled. It felt like a stream of light moving within her, trickling slowly but constantly, giving her a new strength that had not been there before.

When Ruby had finished changing, she ran her fingers through her long hair a moment before spinning around to face her partner with a grin. "Weeeiss, are you ready?" She zipped across the room, rose petals fluttering in her wake, arms outstretched as she ran toward her. "Come to bed now!" She hugged Weiss's front excitedly. It took the older girl by surprise, and Weiss felt a blush rise in her cheeks.

"R-Ruby-! I'm coming, alright?" She tried to pry the girl off, but Ruby held tightly to her, nuzzling the side of her neck. Weiss felt the embarrassment hot on her face, but it was no longer _just_ on her face anymore-

She felt another crystal sprout on her shoulder and jumped a bit in surprise. Ruby pulled back quickly.

"Waaah, not again! Weiss, are you okay?"

The white-haired girl looked down at the green crystal. There was no pain this time, no blood either, and something told her if Ruby were to touch its edge, it would not cut her again.

"Yes... It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Ruby reached her index finger out to poke the crystal carefully, confirming Weiss's thoughts.

"It's not sharp this time. Is this because of the Dust?" she wondered. "Maybe it was only like that the first time cause you were scared..."

Either way, she did not _ever_ want to see Weiss like that again.

Ruby sighed with relief when she was certain Weiss was not in pain this time, and she slid her arms around the older girl's neck. "I'm glad you're okay now, Weiss."

Weiss only felt her blush deepen when Ruby embraced her again.

"Y-You dunce..." she mumbled, not knowing how else to react.

But then, another crystal popped up on her other shoulder.

"Woop!" Ruby blinked. "Weiss, what are you doing?" She chuckled before a mischievous look crept into her eyes. "Are you embarrassed? Is this what's gonna happen every time I do _this_-?" She kissed Weiss's nose playfully.

"R-Ruby-!"

_Pop! _Another crystal.

Oh, Ruby was going to have _fun_ with this.

"Weeeeiss that's so cuuuute!" she giggled. "You're like a hedgehog!"

"Q-Quiet! Ruby stop kissing me!"

"Can't make meeeee!"

Weiss tried to resist to no avail, every giggle and kiss on Ruby's part only serving to make more Dust spikes appear. Ruby could not stop laughing – Weiss was covered in all different-colored crystals now, but her face was as red as Ruby's cloak.

After several more minutes of teasing Weiss, Ruby locked her arms around the girl's waist, spun her around a few times, and carried her back to bed. She let Weiss down onto her back and fell on top of her, laughing all the while as the mattress bounced beneath them.

"Ruby-!" Weiss had covered her face by this point, too mortified to reveal her blush.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, I'm done! Promise!" Ruby giggled. She pushed herself up onto her forearms, letting Weiss calm down and catch her breath again.

The crystals slowly sunk back beneath Weiss's skin, and during the meantime, Ruby pulled the covers down. She coaxed her blushing partner underneath, and Weiss begrudgingly complied. Ruby rolled in next to her and cuddled against her side just as the last crystal vanished.

If this was the new reaction Ruby would get in addition to Weiss's usual blushing, she could hardly wait to use this to her advantage for future amusement.

But for now, she wanted Weiss to relax; it had been a long day for both of them.

Ruby moved down so she was face-level with Weiss, hands lightly running over her cheeks. "I'm really, reeeally glad you're okay now, Weiss. Please, if something like that ever happens again... let me know. Don't try to hide it from me, okay?" She kissed Weiss's scarred cheek softly.

In return, Weiss pulled Ruby closer by her shoulders.

"I promise," she vowed. She dipped her head down slightly to hold a kiss to the center of Ruby's chest, right over where her scar was. "And I want you to tell me if this ever starts acting up, too."

"Okay," Ruby nodded. "I promise too, Weiss."

The white-haired girl moved back up until their eyes met, and Ruby shifted her cloak beneath the blanket and draped it over Weiss as well.

Ruby pulled her in, rubbing circles at the small of Weiss's back as her partner played with her hair. Weiss's fingers were cool and gentle, threading through the brown locks with care, and Ruby's motions had the same affect on Weiss.

They were both slowly succumbing to the exhaustion of the long day, but just before either could close their eyes, their lips came together in another drawn-out kiss, sweet and soft and so, so satisfying.

When she finally pulled away, Ruby slid down to the base of Weiss's throat and nestled close to her chest, tightening her hold on her partner. Her ear rested over Weiss's collar, and Ruby sighed happily as she found her heartbeat, closing her eyes and listening to the familiar pulse.

"Goodnight, Weiss. I love you."

"I love you, Ruby."

Weiss kissed the top of her head and pulled her in closer, feeling the arms around her own waist holding her lovingly. Weiss closed her eyes as well, breathing in the comforting, velvety scent of roses, warm and soothing.

And Ruby let the rhythm of Weiss's heartbeat fill her ears, steady and calm and alive.

They were all the other had now, and there would surely be many more hardships to face in the future.

But whatever happened, they could face it together, beside the one they loved.

* * *

**A/N: Nothing out of the ordinary for me. Just dumb, cliche fluff. The art this is based off can be found at kumafromtaiwan,tumblr,com/post/87401669996**

**Thanks for reading! I hope to write more Henceforth AU sometime!**

**Please review!**


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